Article hanger



,J. E. CRONAN ARTICLE HANGER Filed June 16, 1938 Patented Aug. 19, 1941 OFFICE A rflow HANGER James Cronan, Detroit, Mich. Application June 16, 1938,,"Serial Nb: 214,000v

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an article hanger particularly adapted for household purposes although it will have much utility for industrial uses such as on conveyor lines, in paint shops, and the like.

It is often a considerable problem where a limited amount of storage space is available to obtain and maintain an orderly arrangement of a variety of articles. This is particularly true where articles of various shapes, sizes and lengths must be stored together as in a closet or locker. Frequently one article will conceal the presence of another or interfere with the insertion or removal thereof and much time may .e lost in finding, removing and restoring an article to its proper place.

It is, therefore, a principal object of my invention to provide a hanger having a plurality of hooks upon which articles may be hung in orderly arrangement and which is rotatable in such a manner that the hook carrying the article desired may be brought to a position where the article is easily removed.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a hanger for the above described purpose which is adapted for suspension from the underside of a horizontal surface such as a shelf or ceiling whereby space not otherwise efficiently usable can be employed for the orderly storage of articles.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive means for storing articles which do not readily lend themselves to stacking, as for instance tea cups.

Numerous other objects and features of my invention will appear as the description proceeds, particularly when reference is made to the following drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of my invention with a portion of the body broken away to disclose the double hook arrangement.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the form of invention disclosed in Fig. 1 showing the bearing disc and retaining screw used therewith,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of another form of my invention,

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 with the bearing disc attached,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a further form of my invention showing the bearing disc separated from the body portion, and

Fig. 6 is a view in perspective of one of the plates forming the body of the embodiment shown in Fig. 5.

Referring then first to Fig. 2, the reference character I designates a circular body portion having a bearing surface 2 and a centrally located opening 3. Imbedded in the body portion l are a plurality of rods 4 bent at an angle and so disposed that both ends extend radially from the body I and are again bent to form hooks 5.

It is contemplated that this embodiment of my invention will be manufactured by first bending the rods 4 to the desired specifications, and then casting the body I about the bent portions as is shown in Fig. 1. While I have shown three rods 4 bent so as to form six equally spaced hooks it will be understood that any desired number of rods 4 may be used, it only being necessary to reduce the angle of the bend as the number of rods used is increased.

A bearing disc 6 having a bearing surface I for engagement with the surface 2 of the body I is also provided. The disc 6 is preferably of the same diameter as the body I and has a centrally located hole 8 for receiving the screw 9 which has an enlarged head Ill. The side walls at the lower end of the opening 3 are outwardly diverging for bearing engagement with the conical head Ill.

When it is desired to mount the hanger, the screw 9 is passed through the cooperating openings 3 and 8 and driven intothe underside of a horizontal surface, care being taken to allow ample clearance from obstructions for the hooks 5 to rotate about the axis of the screw 9.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a slightly modified form of my invention wherein the rods 4 are spot welded as at H to the upper surface of a body portion la. In this modification the portion of the rods 4 which overlap the body la act as the bearing members for contact with the surface 1 of the disc 6.

Another form of my invention is disclosed in Figs. 5 and 6. This form shows a body portion lb made up of two interfitting cup members 52 and I3. These cup members l2 and 13 are fiat circular plates having flanges l4 at the periphery thereof and are designed to fit one within the other. These members l2 and [3 may conveniently be metal stampings. Spaced notches l5 are cut in the flanges l4 at such a distance that the arms of the rods 4 may project therethrough. The assembly is similar to the first described form. A screw 9 passing through the holes 3b in the cup members l2 and I3 holds the complete assembly in close fitting engagement against the bearing disc 6b.

If extra. rigidity is desired in the hooks 5, a

circular supporting member l6 may be provided. This member I6 in its preferred form is welded to the underside of the arms of the bent rod 4 just inwardly of the hooks 5. This supporting member I6 is shown only on the embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2, but it will be understood that it can be used as well with the other forms of the invention.

This invention may be developed within the scope of the following claim without departing from the essential features of the invention, it being desired that the specification and drawing be read as being merely illustrative and not in a limiting sense, except as necessitated by the prior art.

What is claimed is:

An article hanger consisting of a plurality of arms having bent end portions constituting article supporting hooks, a central body in which said arms are fixedly secured and from which said arms radiate outwardly, said central body having a central opening adapted to receive an attaching and supporting element from beneath for securing the central element to the underside of a shelf for rotation about a vertical axis, an anti-friction element adapted to fit between said central body and said shelf and adapted to be maintained in interposed relation therebetween by said supporting element, said arms also being bent downwardly from the normal horizontal plane of the central body in such manner that the hook portions are disposed in spaced relation to a shelf to which the central body is so secured.

JAMES E. CRONAN. 

